After critical questionsTrump rages against ABC and examines its contract
The US government has sometimes taken sweeping measures against the media. The ABC has now been hit again after a journalist dared to ask critical questions during a visit to the Saudi Crown Prince. The broadcaster not only insulted Trump, but also faced intense scrutiny from media regulators.
US President Donald Trump stepped up his attacks on ABC News after an ABC reporter asked the Saudi crown prince a question about the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The White House described the Disney-owned channel on Wednesday as a democratic propaganda operation masquerading as a broadcast network.
At the same time, the US media regulator, the FCC, began examining contracts between national networks and local broadcasters. According to FCC boss Brendan Carr, the investigation concerns cases where broadcasters did not broadcast programs for reasons of public interest. Authorities want to clarify whether national networks can punish local broadcasters for not broadcasting their programs.
This is not the first conflict between Trump and ABC: In September, Disney briefly canceled his talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” after critical remarks about right-wing extremist influencer and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk. At the time, FCC boss Carr threatened to revoke his license if local stations continued to air the show. ABC News paid $15 million to Trump’s presidential library in December to settle another lawsuit. The broadcaster declined to comment.
